Students have their day off the Great White Way

Lynn University class will take to the stage in off-Broadway plays

November 19, 2008|By Scott Travis Staff Writer

Many young actors dream of performing on a New York City stage, and for some Lynn University students, it's coming true.

Nineteen students are taking a "Performing on Broadway" class at the Boca Raton university. They've been rehearsing all semester, and in January they will stage 10 one-act plays in an off-Broadway theater. Their show is called "From Boca to Broadway," and they're giving local residents a sneak peak this week with five productions today through Saturday.

"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," said Tommy Lewandowski, 23, a Lynn senior from Detroit. "There's nothing else like Broadway."

The students will perform in The Sage Theater, a 99-seat playhouse the school rented at 711 Seventh Ave. in the heart of Times Square.

"The challenge is going to be getting an audience in New York City," said Adam Simpson, chairman of the drama department.

Tickets cost $10 for both the show at Lynn and in New York. The students will arrive a few days early in New York to sell or give away tickets. They'll walk around New York University and other places in the city with tickets in hand. Many families are flying in for a show.

Janae Ivery, 21, of Belle Glade, said her family won't be able to make the trip, but they are coming to the show at Lynn.

"Not a lot of students get a chance to do something like this when they're an undergraduate," said Ivery, who performs in three skits.

Simpson said he's not aware of any other universities in South Florida with a similar New York experience. But some schools nationwide have similar programs. Brigham Young University in Utah holds a "Senior Showcase" at the Sage Theater annually for undergraduate students, according to the theater's Web site.

The cost of the trip is about $60,000 for the group, Simpson said, and students are trying to raise money to defray some of the expenses.

Students will perform their New York show from Jan. 13 to 18.

The plays are a mixture of dramas and comedies. One play examines the motive and mind set of Susan Smith, the South Carolina woman who killed her two children in 1994. A lighter skit deals with the frustration of losing a dollar in a soda machine.

Yannis Papadakis, 22, of Los Angeles, said he is amazed that his entire class gets to perform off-Broadway.

"Fortune smiled upon us," he said.

Scott Travis can be reached at stravis@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6637.